There’s little traffic, but it’s open.
A new international bridge linking Rainy River with Baudette, Minnesota, was officially opened last week through a virtual ceremony.
Baudette Mayor Rick Rone is excited about the economic benefits the bridge will bring.
Where were excited, the city of Baudette, to be able to have some increased commerce with height restrictions and weight restrictions changed. So we’re really excited. It looks beautiful. We’re very, very happy with all of the people we worked with,” says Rone.
The original bridge was built in 1959.
The planning for its replacement started more than a decade ago.
Photo courtesy Minnesota Department of Transportation
Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Project Manager Joe McKinnon says cooperation between Canadian and American officials got the project done.
“We learned from each other. We learned what was important to Ontario. We learned what was important to Minnesota and realized we had to work together. None of us said our viewpoint or our technical area was more important,” says McKinnon.
The project did have to go through more than 20 different agencies, including the need for approval from the President and the Governor-General because it was an international project.
Officials also had to work through different processes.
Construction wrapped up in early October.
Teresa Maahs of the design firm Stantec says the bridge includes arches that represent the long relationship between Rainy River and Baudette.
“We talk about themes that reflected the outdoor lifestyle and rural nature of the area. The one thing the community really wanted to express was how the town’s of Rainy River and Baudette are tightly connected,” says Maahs.
Photo courtesy Minnesota Department of Transportation
The bridge was built with 4-million lbs of structural steel held together with 21-thousand bolts and 78-hundred cubic yards of concrete.
The original bridge is being torn down after an unsuccessful attempt to sell it.
